ALLEN WILLIAM BRESHEARS

CENTERTOWN- A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, at Moorehead Cemetery in Lamar, for Allen William Breshears, 85, Centertown, who died Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024, at his home.

A visitation will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20, at Houser-Millard Funeral Directors in Jefferson City.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made to the Missouri Conservation Agent’s Association or Camp Wonderland.

Condolences may be left online for the family at www.millardfamilychapels.com.

Survivors include his three children, Jeff Breshears, Amy Ham and husband Brian and Mary Ann Semkin and husband Todd; grandsons, Wyatt Ham and Jackson Semkin; sisters, Barbara Rector and Nita Schmidt and numerous extended family and friends.

He was preceded in death by two wives (including Sally Tilley); a grandson, Garrett Ham; a brother, Weston Breshears and an infant brother, Jerry Wayne Breshears.

Mr. Breshears was born Aug. 5, 1939, in Menlo Park, Calif., to John Breshears and Lydia (Jeffries) Breshears. After graduating Carthage High School in 1957, he proudly served his country in the United States Air Force. He married the love of his life, Judy Whelan, in 1958. She died in 2004.

After completing the Missouri State Highway Patrol Basic Law Enforcement Academy in 1961, he served as a Deputy Sheriff for Jackson County Sheriff’s Patrol. In 1965 he tested and was accepted to become a Missouri Conservation Agent. He advanced through the ranks within the department until he retired in 2002 as Protection Division Assistant Field Chief with 37 years of faithful service. He loved working for the people of Missouri and serving as a front-line ambassador for conservation.

He earned a master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg in 1982. He enjoyed spending time with his family, being an active grandparent, farming and tending to his cattle, spending time with his horse Lucky and his beloved dogs, Jake and Sam.